Xiaoyan Zheng
Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology
School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway organizes pattern formation in a variety of embryonic tissues and functions post-embryonically in homeostatic processes. Hh pathway dysfunction thus can lead to embryonic pattern disruptions, such as holoprosencephaly and other birth defects in humans; post-embryonic dysfunction can result in failure of adult tissue regeneration as well as proliferative disorders, such as cancer.